Prior to our first workshop, we were invited to read & reflect on an article; I was immediately drawn to ‘Embracing the silence: introverted learning and the online classroom‘ (Harris 2022). Funnily enough, I have never formally taught anything (live at least) in the dreaded online classroom, my position in teaching only beginning post-covid 2023. Additionally, the nature of my role within the technical family leans heavily on physical skills & making, something much preferably supported in-person. However, the concept of ‘introverted learning’ (Harris 2022) stuck with me, and is certainly something I feel I face during teaching.
The majority of my sessions are sign up; denoting students are there of their own volition. They want to be there… So, why can it feel like drawing blood from a stone to get them to engage/ participate?
Harris (2022) introduced me to the 90-9-1 rule (Nielson 2006), explaining the 3 core types of internet users:
- 90% of users are lurkers (i.e., read or observe, but don’t contribute).
- 9% of users contribute from time to time, but other priorities dominate their time.
- 1% of users participate a lot and account for most contributions: it can seem as if they don’t have lives because they often post just minutes after whatever event they’re commenting on occurs. (Nielson 2006)
Harris (2022) notes that this theory applies both outside and inside the educational sphere. Additionally, the nature of being a lurker is not inherently wrong, it is “normal human behaviour”. This made me think… Does this apply to in person environments also? I have certainly had my share of “lurkers” in class, usually grateful to have just one student who carries the group with their participation, whilst I desperately try to get those sinking into the shadows to share their thoughts.
In Harris’ (2022, p. 102) first provocation, she poses the idea that “Might the pressure to actively participate actually be counter-productive?” Supported by the following text:
Offering opportunities for students to sit without distraction helps them absorb content and remember it and think about additional questions. They can process the feelings and ideas expressed by their peers and consider the importance of other perspectives. (Weeks, 2018)
Reflecting on this provocation, I am conflicted. On the one hand, I agree that students can and do take in information through passive participation (Fox-Eades 2015). As educators, we should support this. Why shouldn’t we break down the barriers of societal expectations & ‘norms’ (whatever that means!) and create safe(er) spaces for our students of all backgrounds to feel supported? As Harris (2022) notes,regardless of educational background, whether English is a first language, some students may not have the processing speed that is historically expected from traditional call-on teaching.
On the other hand, do we, as educators, have a certain responsibility in supporting students to develop important social skills which they will be expected to use in their professional lives? Of course, this speaks to a wider issue, including our societal infrastructure being inherently patriarchal; geared towards neurotypical, white, cisgender men. (Greenberg 2023)
Although this being a rather pessimistic outlook on the concept, I am inherently looking to make my teaching as inclusive as I can. So, if that means embracing the silence, then why not try! Perhaps I can begin by implementing moments of silence within my teaching not by force, but by choice. After all, Fox-Eades (2015) writes of the importance of welcoming & initiating silence, rather than just accepting. In doing so, we create a learning environment where more introverted students are not made to feel like under achievers (Harris 2022), but instead an active and respected part of the student body.
If our community feel respected as students, perhaps we can begin to build a more inclusive professional society which welcomes those not fitting within these patriarchal expectations?
References
Fox Eades, J. (2015) Silence and stillness in the classroom, Jennifer Fox Eades: Alexander Technique Teacher. Available at: https://jennyfoxeades.com/2015/02/12/silence-and-stillness-in-the-classroom/ [Accessed 19th Jan 2026].
Greenberg, S. (2023) Navigating the Neurodivergent Glass Ceiling: 3 systemic barriers that hold women with unique brain wiring back, Psychology Today. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/lifes-work/202311/navigating-the-neurodivergent-glass-ceiling [Accessed 19th Jan 2026].
Harris, K. (2022) ‘Embracing the silence: introverted learning and the online classroom’, Spark: UAL Creative Teaching and Learning Journal, 5 (1), pp. 101–104.
Nielsen, J. (2006) Participation Inequality: The 90-9-1 Rule for Social Features, Nielsen Norman Group. Available at: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/participation-inequality/ [Accessed 19th Jan 2026].
Weeks, D. (2018) The value of silence in schools, Edutopia. Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/article/value-silence-schools/ [Accessed: 19 January 2026].